Firm faced questions about former CEO conviction

A Longwood firm whose CEO got caught in corrution charges has faced questions about him, even though he left the firm more than a year ago.

The story about Richard G. Zahn, founder of ZMG Construction, was laid out in detail in today’s paper by my colleague, real estate writer Mary Shanklin.

Zahn was caught in a sting at South Carolina State University years ago and pleaded guilty to bribing its chairman, Jonathan Pinson, who was convicted by a jury. The corruption charge was connected to land that Zahn owned personally, not through ZMG.

ZMG was hired as the general contractor for Prospect Real Estate Group on a big project in Clearwater, and city officials there had "frank discussions" with Prospect about Zahn’s history at ZMG after they learned of the conviction, the Times reported.

ZMG's current CEO Mark Filburn told Shanklin the firm stands on a strong reputation nationally and had no role in Zahn's South Carolina dealings.

Zahn is still awaiting sentencing on the charges in South Carolina. Check back with the Sentinel for more updates.